We woke up to delicious breakfast overlooking the Aegean sea, we could feel the sea breeze flow in through the windows and could love the mix of olives, oranges and salt linger in the air.
In the ancient theatre which overlooks the ocean, Eric and Winnie gave a talk about the history of Ancient Greece and especially Assos. The convenient location of Assos meant that it was conquered many times during Antiquity.
Founded by the Greeks from Lesbos, taken over by Lydians and Persians, this Mediterranean hub was the home to many important historical figures. Aristotle was arguably the most famous inhabitant of Assos, studying natural processes here for several years.
Continuing up the steep banks of the hill to the acropolis, Zoe and Sofia educated the class on the volcanics of the region in the archaic Temple of Athena. The volcanics of Assos trace back to the Early Miocene where caldera-like andesite and rhyolite volcanoes dominated the landscape.
Layering of lava and pyroclastic flows caused the modern day abundance of ignimbrites in the area. The ignimbrites are identifiable by the presence of potassium felspars which are visible today by the sparse amount of sanidine (small rectangular white crystals). The Tuzla fault cuts east-west through the area creating two different stratigraphic zones. The north has been uplifted and eroded and was previously believed to be created from a different source. However, due to geochemical similarities between the north and the south zones, it is likely they had the same genesis.
After a wonderful day at Assos we drove off on our way to Cesme. There we went out for dinner, and tried Mezes, a traditional appetizer shared dinner then headed back to the hotel to get some rest.